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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: perch · key · chest · board · kid · race · rest · foot

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — a box
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. key — for a lock
  10. board — to get on
  11. kid — child
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rest — a break
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — humankind
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. rest — what's left
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chest — of your body
  24. key — the most important part

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