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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. last — final
  11. rock — music
  12. wax — to grow
  13. squash — to crush
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — to go on
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — a measure

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