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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: chair · snap · pop · cabinet · suit · rest · perch · season

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — to fit
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — clothes
  11. season — in sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. pop — soda
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pop — to visit

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