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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 · rock · net · track · roll · chair · rush · staff

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. chest — of your body
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. net — after costs
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — a list
  13. chair — a leader
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. net — for catching
  21. rock — music
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. rush — hurry
  24. roll — a cake

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