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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. charge — electricity
  11. firm — a company
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lean — thin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — in control
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — a price

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