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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: stand · rash · chair · mate · present · date · arm · bark

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — the time now
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — to bear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rash — hasty
  18. present — a gift
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — a friend

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