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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: object · wake · scale · chest · bark · lie · chair · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wake — a trail
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. toast — bread
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — a leader
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. object — to protest
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — a box

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