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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: stand · perch · press · mate · chair · dip · firm · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stand — to bear
  5. firm — decided
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chair — a leader
  12. firm — steady
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mate — a friend
  18. press — a publisher
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — to push
  21. mate — a partner
  22. perch — the fish
  23. firm — a company
  24. mate — to breed

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