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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 124 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 · roll · mug · rock · toast · rest · stand · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — a cup
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rock — a stone
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mug — a face
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mug — to rob

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