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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: rash · cabinet · deal · suit · lie · bulb · chair · chest

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lie — to recline
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rash — a series
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — an agreement

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