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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spring — a coil
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — of water

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