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

Word bank: field · tear · content · chest · temple · mouse · fall · rock

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — music
  5. content — the amount
  6. field — farmland
  7. fall — the season
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. field — for sport
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chest — of your body

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