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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 120 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: row · chip · last · chair · stand · snap · racket · lean

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chip — for betting
  3. last — to go on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chip — to eat
  10. last — final
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. last — finally
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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