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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: bear · stand · foot · bay · lash · chair · race · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. race — a contest
  7. present — a gift
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. race — humankind
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. stand — to bear
  19. race — the arms race
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — 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