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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 116 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: saw · bear · chair · face · squash · object · trunk · mouse

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a leader
  7. object — a thing
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. object — an aim
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — the sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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