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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. season — of the year
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pass — a permit
  4. band — a ring
  5. bark — to shout
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — to bend
  21. charge — a price
  22. band — a music group
  23. charge — electricity
  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