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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · hand · temple · track · chest · safe · leaves · ruler

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. track — to keep track
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — help
  5. roll — a list
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chest — of your body
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chest — a box
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a song
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. track — a path
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. safe — out of danger
  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