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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: sharp · chest · stock · suit · plane · bear · rest · root

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stock — goods
  3. rest — a break
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — a box
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. root — of a word
  18. stock — shares
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. sharp — clever
  24. root — the cause

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