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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. charge — a price
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fall — the season
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — a series
  11. firm — decided
  12. charge — in control
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — a company
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — hasty
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — steady

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