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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mug — a face
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — a cup
  11. last — finally
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rest — a break
  18. cold — an illness
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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