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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — rain
  9. lie — to recline
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — a professorship

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