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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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Word bank
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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: file · tear · suit · rest · chair · stick

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a tool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. suit — clothes
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. file — a document
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — a break

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