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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. root — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — employees
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — a stick
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth

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