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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: rock · rush · tube · trunk · rest · race · cabinet · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. race — a contest
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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