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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: rest · chest · staff · shower · stock · mug · pop · calf

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. staff — employees
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. chest — a box
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. shower — rain
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — a stick
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. mug — a face
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — a break
  22. mug — to rob
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stock — shares

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