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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — a company
  16. bass — low music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the fish
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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