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

Word bank: chair · bark · lie · mouse · firm · rest · branch · bear

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bear — the animal
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — decided
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — a company
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. branch — a division
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. firm — steady
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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