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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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468
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: hand · foot · wave · stick · chair · mug · leaves · cabinet

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. foot — a measure
  16. chair — a leader
  17. hand — help
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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