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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 120 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
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: fine · chair · chest · wax · rush · pit · rock · cap

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cap — a lid
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chest — a box
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fine — all right
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — a fruit 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