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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bat · net · chair · stem · mug · chest · rock · bank

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. net — for catching
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bank — for money
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mug — a face
  12. stem — to come from
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — in sport
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bat — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — a professorship

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