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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. firm — steady
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bark — to shout
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. firm — decided
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. firm — a company
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rash — a series
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cap — a hat

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