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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: stick · net · foot · lash · chest · clip · content · rest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. net — for catching
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — a break
  9. foot — a measure
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. clip — a video
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. clip — for paper

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