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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — magic
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mug — to rob
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — low music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tear — to rip
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — a weight

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