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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 120 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: mug · sharp · stem · face · rest · wake · chest · rash

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mug — a face
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — a break
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chest — a box
  22. rash — a series
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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