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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · leaves · mug · bear · chair · sharp · arm · tear

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — a face
  23. leaves — to go away
  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