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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cap — a lid
  5. staff — employees
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — animal skin

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