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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: squash · coach · foot · wound · bank · ruler · firm · chair

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. firm — a company
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — steady
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chair — a leader
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — to sit on

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