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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 · rest · fall · firm · fine · pound · wave · capital

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. rest — a break
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. capital — a city
  9. firm — decided
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — a company
  14. capital — money
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fall — the season
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. firm — steady
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. fine — all right

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