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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. branch — a division
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. firm — a company
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. firm — decided
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — to bear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — a subject
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stand — on your feet

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