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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 · sharp · mate · firm · chest · foot · wake · chip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chest — a box
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — a friend
  19. firm — steady
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chest — of your body
  23. firm — decided
  24. chair — a leader

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