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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chest — a box
  3. rest — a break
  4. suit — to fit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. suit — clothes
  12. firm — decided
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. firm — steady
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cold — an illness
  22. firm — a company
  23. cold — not warm
  24. wake — a trail

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