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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chair — a leader
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. prune — to trim
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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