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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.

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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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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. march — music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — a leader
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. firm — steady
  14. cell — in biology
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — a division
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. firm — decided
  22. cell — a phone
  23. shower — rain
  24. pound — for dogs

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