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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: chest · vault · foot · spell · pitch · chair · trunk · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spell — letters
  7. chest — of your body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — magic
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — a short time
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rest — what's left
  23. vault — a safe
  24. foot — the bottom

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