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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. object — to protest
  7. stem — to come from
  8. firm — a company
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — decided
  12. content — the amount
  13. chair — a leader
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. object — a thing
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. object — an aim
  22. row — a line
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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