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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 120 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: can · chest · perch · swing · wake · drill · temple · key

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — music
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wake — a trail
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — to be able to
  16. perch — the fish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — army training
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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