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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — for sport
  5. shower — rain
  6. firm — steady
  7. court — of a king
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a leader
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. firm — a company
  13. court — of law
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chest — a box
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — for spectators

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