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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · craft · bark · chair · leaves · dip · bay · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. craft — boats
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — a part of something

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