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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. firm — decided
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kid — child
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. prune — to trim
  17. firm — steady
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — a professorship

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