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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: clip · can · bark · stand · face · key · chair · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. clip — for paper
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. clip — a video
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chair — a leader
  18. face — part of the head
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — to confront
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chair — to sit on

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