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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · arm · chair · prune · bass · bark · board · hide

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bass — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. arm — part of the body

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