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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: lean · chest · suit · pitcher · staff · tube · mug · march

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chest — a box
  7. mug — a cup
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. suit — to fit
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. tube — a container
  21. staff — employees
  22. lean — thin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. march — the month

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