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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: swing · chair · can · bulb · root · lean · chest · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — to play on
  9. can — a tin
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. swing — music
  17. chest — a box
  18. lean — thin
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — of a word

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