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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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Word bank
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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: can · rest · last · rash · field · lean · chip · wake

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — thin
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — a series
  7. last — finally
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. last — final
  18. field — a subject
  19. chip — for betting
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lean — to bend
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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