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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — there
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a word
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. firm — a company
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — a break
  11. root — of a plant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — decided
  15. face — to confront
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. present — the time now
  20. face — part of the head
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — a gift
  23. root — the cause
  24. rest — what's left

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