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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: firm · march · shower · temple · stem · swing · wake · chair

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — steady
  5. shower — to wash
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — music
  9. shower — rain
  10. march — the month
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. march — music
  17. firm — decided
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wake — a trail
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — a leader
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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