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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: chest · lash · suit · leaves · can · game · arm · rash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rash — a series
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — to be able to
  5. suit — clothes
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chest — of your body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — a match
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. leaves — of a tree

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