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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: charge · lean · chest · rash · rest · dip · march · bore

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — the month
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. march — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chest — a box
  19. lean — thin
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — a price
  24. rest — what's left

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