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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. firm — steady
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — decided
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. deal — to handle
  11. press — to push
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. hand — in cards
  19. swing — music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chair — a leader
  24. trunk — of a car

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