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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. firm — a company
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — a short time
  6. chair — a leader
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — to play on
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. firm — decided
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spell — magic
  16. row — a line
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — music
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — of a river
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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