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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: sharp · roll · chair · toast · leaves · fine · chest · rash

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. roll — a list
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fine — all right
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. sharp — clever
  21. toast — bread
  22. chair — a leader
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rash — a series

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