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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — to paddle
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — thin
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rock — a stone
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. leaves — to go away

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