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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — the fish
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — thin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. chair — a leader
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lean — to rest against

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