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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — shares
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stock — goods
  24. face — to confront

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