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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: rest · chest · lie · bore · roll · chair · leaves · object

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. object — an aim
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — to protest
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. chest — a box
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — a list
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — a break
  21. chest — of your body
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — an untruth
  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