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

Word bank: squash · chair · shower · mark · wake · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. firm — decided
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. firm — a company
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — a grade
  17. shower — to wash
  18. firm — steady

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