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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rest — a break
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of a king
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. race — a contest
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. race — humankind
  22. court — for sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bark — of a tree

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