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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. field — a subject
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. club — for golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chest — a box
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — a group
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — boats
  21. field — farmland
  22. club — for dancing
  23. field — for sport
  24. chest — of your body

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