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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · chest · rush · root · mug · field · chair · saw

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. root — the cause
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — a subject
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. field — farmland
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. root — of a word
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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