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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rock — music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. staff — employees
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a partner
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — the animal

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