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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: rest · mug · pass · tube · chair · track · chest · spring

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spring — of water
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — a face
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — a box
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spring — a coil
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. track — a path
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spring — the season
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pass — a permit
  24. track — a song

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