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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: foot · squash · lie · leaves · chair · wake · mug · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chest — a box
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — a face
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — a professorship

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