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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: root · rash · mark · lie · mate · file · chair · chest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. root — the cause
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. chest — of your body
  12. file — a tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rash — a series
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. root — of a word
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chair — a leader

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