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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bank — for money
  6. chest — a box
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. swing — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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