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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lean — thin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. foot — a measure

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