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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · safe · stock · game · lie · chest · rest · date

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. date — the fruit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — wild animals
  5. shower — rain
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — of your body
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. chest — a box
  18. game — a match
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rest — a break
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rest — what's left

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