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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 · chair · suit · scale · lean · mug · pitcher · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chest — of your body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — in music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chest — a box

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