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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chair — a leader
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cap — a lid
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — decided
  11. swing — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cap — of ice
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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