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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — a company
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rule — government
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rule — a law
  10. chair — a leader
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. object — a thing
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. object — an aim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. firm — decided
  22. foot — a measure
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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