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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · tear · firm · swing · chair · foot

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — steady
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — a measure
  16. firm — decided
  17. tear — from crying
  18. chair — to sit on

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