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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: chest · bore · saw · rest · rock · stand · perch · dip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to sink
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rock — music
  24. bore — to tire

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