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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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. dip — to sink
  4. stock — goods
  5. toast — bread
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stock — shares
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — a series
  14. band — a ring
  15. rest — a break
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. chest — a box

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