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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
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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: chair · bowl · jam · hide · rash · chest · current · trunk

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — hasty
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bowl — a dish

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