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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. firm — a company
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fall — the season
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. season — in sport
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rock — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. plane — an aircraft

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