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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stand — to bear
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rest — a break
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stand — for spectators

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