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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cell — a phone
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bark — to shout
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bore — to tire

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