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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. firm — decided
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — in a road
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. shower — to wash
  9. firm — steady
  10. shower — rain
  11. object — an aim
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rest — a break
  19. firm — a company
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. object — a thing

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