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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: chest · snap · temple · band · staff · ball · foot · branch

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chest — of your body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. snap — to click
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. branch — a division

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