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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · ruler · firm · temple · mug · row · straw · content

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. row — to paddle
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. content — happy
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — to rob
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mug — a face
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. firm — decided
  15. content — the amount
  16. firm — a company
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. row — a line
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — a cup

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