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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. charge — in control
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spell — a short time
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. spell — letters

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