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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.

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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — of water
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — certain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — electric
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. march — music
  18. current — happening now
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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