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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. chest — a box
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — employees
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. prune — to trim
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for golf

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