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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — clothes
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. suit — to fit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chair — a leader
  24. prune — the fruit

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