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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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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 · leaves · ball · chest · lash · tube · mark · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a great time
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — a break

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