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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: pop · rest · bore · chair · staff · suit · cabinet · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. chair — a leader
  7. rest — what's left
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pop — soda
  12. staff — employees
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pop — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rest — a break

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