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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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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: toast · chest · pit · bear · chair · nail · pass · drill

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chest — a box
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — army training
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — to succeed
  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