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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kid — to tease
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — hurry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mug — a cup
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mug — to rob
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. chair — a leader
  24. kid — child

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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