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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. row — a line
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chest — of your body
  13. scale — in music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — size or range
  20. roll — a list
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — of your body
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rest — what's left

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