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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 120 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kick — in football
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tear — to rip
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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