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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
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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: tear · pop · jam · object · staff · land · chair · rest

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. land — a country
  3. rest — a break
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — an aim
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pop — soda
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chair — a leader
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — to sit on

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