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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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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: leaves · chip · lash · chair · key · foot · band · present

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. key — in music
  3. foot — a measure
  4. present — the time now
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. band — a ring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — for a lock
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. band — a music group
  17. present — a gift
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chair — a leader
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chip — to eat
  24. present — there

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