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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 · kid · racket · mug · chest · ruler · deal · swing

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kid — child
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kid — to tease
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a cup
  21. swing — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — in golf

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