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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — help
  7. rash — a series
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rock — music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — a box
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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