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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — the underground
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chest — of your body
  10. drill — army training
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bound — tied together
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — a trace
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. tube — a container
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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