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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 · swing · sharp · pound · deal · foot · trunk · chest

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chest — of your body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. swing — to play on
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — a box
  14. swing — music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chest — of your 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