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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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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: chest · bore · bear · rash · wave · leaves · face · cabinet

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rash — a series
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bore — to drill

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