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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — steady
  4. track — to keep track
  5. drill — army training
  6. track — a path
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hand — in cards
  10. firm — decided
  11. pop — soda
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. firm — a company
  23. track — a song
  24. drill — a practice

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