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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: chest · stem · cap · dip · rest · content · band · fork

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. content — the amount
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — a break
  6. chest — a box
  7. dip — to sink
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fork — in a road
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. band — a ring
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — a lid
  23. content — happy
  24. band — a music group

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