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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 120 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: mouse · tear · firm · swing · chair · foot · season · dip

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chair — a leader
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tear — to rip
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. season — of the year
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — music
  23. firm — a company
  24. foot — a measure

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