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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. file — a tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. file — a line of people
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. last — final
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — the fish
  10. last — to go on
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for golf
  15. last — finally
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. file — a document
  20. club — a group
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bore — to drill
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bound — tied together

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