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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: wake · bear · chair · lean · rule · clip · wave · bay

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lean — thin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. clip — a video
  24. lean — to rest against

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