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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chair — a leader
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pit — a hole
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — a measure
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — of a tree

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