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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chest — of your body
  3. roll — a list
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. field — a subject
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chest — of your body
  16. field — farmland
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chest — a box
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. roll — a cake

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