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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · craft · chair · press · bass · leaves · firm · shower

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. shower — to wash
  3. firm — steady
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — for pool
  8. firm — decided
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — rain
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — a skill
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — to push
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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