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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. clip — a video
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. clip — to cut
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. clip — for paper
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pound — a weight
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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