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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: mine · lash · rest · lie · row · jam · chair · trunk

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. chair — a leader
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mine — for digging
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. row — a line
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mine — belonging to me

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