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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 · wake · rest · stock · plane · patient · season · can

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. can — a tin
  3. stock — goods
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. stock — shares
  7. rest — a break
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — in sport
  10. chest — a box
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — a tool
  14. season — of the year
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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