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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 124 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — a path
  6. fall — to drop
  7. branch — a division
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. fall — the season
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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