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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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Word bank
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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: prune · bat · fine · nail · lie · chest · temple · firm

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chest — a box
  4. prune — to trim
  5. firm — decided
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — a company
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. chest — of your body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — side of the head

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