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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: chair · foot · can · object · mine · firm · hide · branch

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. object — a thing
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. can — a tin
  8. foot — a measure
  9. firm — a company
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. chair — a leader
  16. firm — steady
  17. branch — a division
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mine — for digging
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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