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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: object · chest · bank · rest · coach · mark · tear · foot

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. tear — to rip
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. tear — from crying
  11. object — to protest
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — an aim
  21. foot — a measure
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  24. mark — a trace

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