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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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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: chest · arm · lash · deal · cap · tube · pit · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. cap — of ice
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chest — a box
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — to handle
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — a container
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tube — in a tire
  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