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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: mark · stick · chair · cabinet · pass · rush · foot · chest

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mark — a trace
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — hurry

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