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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: chest · stand · rock · chair · mug · rush · trunk · cell

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mug — a face
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rock — a stone

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