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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · kid · rock · toast · chair · fan · last · season

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. last — final
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. kid — child
  5. toast — bread
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. last — to go on
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — of the year
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — finally
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. rock — music
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chair — a leader

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