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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. court — of a king
  13. chair — a leader
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. court — of law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. court — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. nail — for a hammer

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