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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · arm · row · field · rest · chest · temple · last

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — farmland
  7. chest — of your body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — a box
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. last — to go on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. last — final
  19. field — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — a subject
  22. rest — a break
  23. row — a line
  24. last — finally

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