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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. firm — steady
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. firm — a company
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — a break
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chest — a box
  20. firm — decided
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a trace
  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