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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: spring · chair · lie · board · pass · firm · cap · bark

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pass — a permit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — to get on
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bark — to shout
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — the season
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — to succeed

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