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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a skill
  7. firm — decided
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — music
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rest — a break
  18. firm — steady
  19. rest — what's left
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. craft — a handicraft

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