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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: court · craft · face · cell · track · stand · chest · temple

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. craft — boats
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. track — a path
  6. court — of law
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. chest — a box
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chest — of your body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. court — of a king
  13. track — a song
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a skill
  19. court — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — on your feet

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