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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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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 · ruler · chest · pit · lean · rest · cabinet · deal

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chest — a box
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lean — to bend
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pit — in a race
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rest — a break

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