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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: stock · drill · current · cap · chest · rest · pass · lie

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stock — goods
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rest — what's left
  11. current — electric
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — happening now
  15. chest — of your body
  16. drill — army training
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — a break
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stock — shares
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rest — what's left

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