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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. last — to go on
  15. swing — to play on
  16. plane — a tool
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. object — an aim
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. can — to be able to
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. swing — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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