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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · rest · firm · chest · race · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chest — a box
  3. firm — decided
  4. race — the arms race
  5. rock — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. content — the amount
  8. firm — a company
  9. rest — a break
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — happy
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — of your body

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