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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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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: stand · last · chest · file · temple · cell · perch · snap

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. file — a line of people
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. last — finally
  12. cell — in biology
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. file — a document
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cell — a phone
  22. last — final
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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