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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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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: bore · bark · wave · rest · cabinet · chair · hide · stand

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — a break
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

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