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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: jam · trunk · mug · lean · chair · firm · file · kid

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. file — a document
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. firm — a company
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mug — a face
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — to rob
  22. kid — to tease
  23. firm — steady
  24. kid — child

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