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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: fall · mug · jam · suit · chair · bank · wake · firm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — a trail
  14. firm — steady
  15. fall — to drop
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fall — the season
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — before a funeral

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