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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. firm — steady
  3. rock — music
  4. object — a thing
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. firm — a company
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. charge — a price
  11. rock — a stone
  12. roll — a list
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. charge — in control
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. object — an aim
  18. lean — thin
  19. rash — a series
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rash — hasty
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. firm — decided
  24. object — to protest

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