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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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Word bank
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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — clothes
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chest — of your body
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chest — a box
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chair — a leader

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