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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: pop · cabinet · bay · trunk · chair · chest · lash · fan

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chest — a box
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — soda
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chair — a leader

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