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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — there
  4. lean — thin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rule — government
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. present — a gift
  19. chair — a leader
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rule — a law
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — to sit on

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