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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 120 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 · suit · chair · snap · stem · can · board · face

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. suit — in cards
  7. face — to point toward
  8. board — a committee
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chest — a box
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. face — to confront
  18. board — to get on
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chair — a leader
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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