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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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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: firm · bass · chair · tear · squash · court · lie · cabinet

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. court — of law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tear — to rip
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — steady
  10. court — of a king
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. firm — decided
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — low music

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