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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — a leader
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rule — government
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. firm — a company
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. firm — steady

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