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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stock — shares
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. fall — the season
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — decided
  15. stock — goods
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. firm — steady
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chair — a leader

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