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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: mate · bay · bear · row · rule · chair · pound · trunk

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — a line
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chair — a leader
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mate — a friend
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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