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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: lie · chest · rash · season · rock · pound · chair · cell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chest — a box
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rash — a series
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rock — music
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. season — of the year
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. chest — of your body

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