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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — a law
  3. rest — a break
  4. chest — a box
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rule — government
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. calf — of the leg

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