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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — a tool
  4. firm — steady
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — to confront
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — the fish
  13. firm — a company
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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