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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: suit · rest · bore · sharp · land · chair · firm · leaves

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bore — to drill
  4. firm — a company
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. firm — steady
  19. suit — clothes
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. firm — decided

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