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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · row · saw · chair · firm · trunk · rash · cap

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — hasty
  10. row — to paddle
  11. cap — of ice
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. firm — decided
  14. chair — a leader
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. firm — a company
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — steady
  20. chest — a box
  21. row — a line
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cap — a lid

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