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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: chair · mouse · bark · rash · lie · wound · court · mug

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — of a king
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. chair — a professorship

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