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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 124 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. firm — decided
  3. perch — the fish
  4. firm — steady
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a leader
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — a company
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. toast — bread

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