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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.

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: firm · shower · chair · chest · fan · file · suit · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chest — a box
  3. firm — decided
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — a company
  9. chair — a leader
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. file — a document
  12. shower — to wash
  13. firm — steady
  14. shower — rain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — clothes

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