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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bank — for money
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. kid — child
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bank — for money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. shower — rain
  24. kid — to tease

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