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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — final
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pop — music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. last — finally
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — a partner
  15. key — in music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chest — of your body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — side of the head

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