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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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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: pit · temple · face · cell · cabinet · hand · suit · chest

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cell — in biology
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cell — a phone
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to point toward
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. face — to confront
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hand — help
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cabinet — ministers

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