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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: can · rush · tear · toast · fork · rule · stand · chest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — bread
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — a law
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stand — to bear
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tear — to rip
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — a box
  24. rush — a thrill

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