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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. present — there
  3. rest — a break
  4. face — to confront
  5. chest — a box
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stock — goods
  15. present — the time now
  16. stock — shares
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cue — a signal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. present — a gift
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stand — to bear

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