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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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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: chip · racket · kick · rest · object · trunk · march · chest

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chip — for betting
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. rest — a break
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — a box
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chest — of your body

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