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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. chair — a leader
  6. lean — thin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. object — to protest
  11. present — a gift
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. firm — steady
  14. season — of the year
  15. lean — to bend
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. object — a thing
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. object — an aim
  22. season — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — decided

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