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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. march — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. shower — rain
  24. bark — of a tree

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