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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · chest · fall · bat · firm · cue · foot · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cue — a signal
  12. firm — a company
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. firm — decided
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. firm — steady
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com