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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a hat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — to protest
  13. cap — of ice
  14. object — a thing
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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