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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. object — to protest
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. firm — steady
  6. court — of a king
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a leader
  13. object — a thing
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — a company
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. court — for sport
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rash — a series
  22. firm — decided
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cap — of ice

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