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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 120 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: leaves · cabinet · stock · season · rest · present · chest · pop

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — there
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — a gift
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — goods
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pop — to visit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. present — the time now
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — ministers

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