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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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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: stand · mug · trunk · cold · chair · cap · bore · toast

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mug — a face
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — not warm
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. chair — a leader
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mug — a cup
  19. toast — bread
  20. bore — to tire
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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