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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cap — a hat
  10. root — of a word
  11. rock — music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cap — a lid
  22. root — the cause
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. prune — to trim

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