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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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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: stick · object · wave · dip · chair · bark · bore · kid

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — a thing
  11. dip — to sink
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. kid — child
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bark — to shout
  20. object — an aim
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — to protest

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