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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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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: foot · chair · chest · row · vault · rash · nail · safe

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. foot — a measure
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rash — a series
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chair — a leader
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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