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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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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: pop · chest · stick · can · rash · bore · firm · rush

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pop — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — soda
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — a box
  22. can — to be able to
  23. firm — steady
  24. can — a tin

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