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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.

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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: trunk · bay · ruler · lean · spell · chair · firm · foot

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lean — thin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. firm — decided
  17. lean — to bend
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. foot — part of the body

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