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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 124 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. last — finally
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. last — final
  13. snap — to click
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — to go on
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a music group
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ruler — a monarch

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