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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: rule · chest · file · toast · club · arm · object · fine

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rule — a law
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — all right
  15. object — an aim
  16. toast — bread
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. object — to protest
  20. file — a tool
  21. rule — government
  22. club — for golf
  23. fine — high quality
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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