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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without 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. bear — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. branch — a division
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. object — to protest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. object — a thing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pass — a permit

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