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

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chest — a box
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. object — a thing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — for spectators

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