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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — a stick
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. craft — boats
  11. chair — a leader
  12. ground — crushed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — a skill
  24. staff — employees

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