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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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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. band — a music group
  4. face — to confront
  5. bark — to shout
  6. face — part of the head
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — a cup
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mug — a face
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mug — to rob
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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