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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. spring — the season
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — to come from
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bay — a horse colour

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