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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · band · mug · chair · sharp · saw · chest · arm

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — a cup
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. band — a music group
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. band — a ring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — decided
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. firm — a company

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