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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. march — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. march — the month
  10. track — a song
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — a thing
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. march — the month
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — a path
  23. object — to protest
  24. wave — of the sea

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