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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. snap — to click
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — decided
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bass — the fish
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — a hint
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cold — an illness
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. squash — the sport

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