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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · rush · firm · perch · can · band · fine · cell

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. can — to be able to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. band — a ring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — a company
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — hurry
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a music group
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. can — a tin
  24. fine — a penalty

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