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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — finally
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ground — a position
  21. last — final
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — a series

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