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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bass — low music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bark — to shout
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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