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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
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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: lie · cabinet · chest · rest · trunk · rash · mug · suit

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chest — a box
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — to recline
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chest — of your body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — a face
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rest — a break
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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