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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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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: leaves · band · bat · mouse · charge · chair · rest · bark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chair — a leader
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rest — a break
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. band — a music group
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mouse — the animal

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