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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: mark · chair · arm · bear · fall · coach · cabinet · pit

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pit — in a race
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fall — the season
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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