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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: object · mug · arm · chair · hide · file · race · firm

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a document
  4. firm — steady
  5. file — a line of people
  6. object — to protest
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a face
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — a company
  14. race — humankind
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. chair — a leader
  20. file — a tool
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. object — a thing

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