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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. last — to go on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. tear — to rip
  8. last — finally
  9. chest — a box
  10. last — final
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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