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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: mark · object · stand · fall · foot · net · chest · rest

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — to protest
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — after costs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. object — an aim
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fall — the season
  19. chest — of your body
  20. net — in sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — a thing

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