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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — happy
  6. cell — in biology
  7. firm — steady
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — to eat
  12. firm — a company
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cell — a phone
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rest — what's left

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