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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. face — to point toward
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — a company
  7. net — for catching
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. face — to confront
  10. chair — a leader
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — steady
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. net — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. branch — a division
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rest — a break
  24. cue — a hint

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