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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: chest · racket · lie · pass · rest · board · staff · prune

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. staff — employees
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. chest — a box
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rest — a break
  17. lie — to recline
  18. staff — a stick
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — of your body

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