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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: chair · mark · rest · track · hide · firm · club · rush

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — a company
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. track — a path
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — steady
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — for golf
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — a group
  15. firm — decided
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — a song
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. track — to keep track

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