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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: bank · fall · firm · fan · pop · chair · kid · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — a company
  5. rest — what's left
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — a break
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — soda
  22. fall — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. bank — for money

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