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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cell — in biology
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cap — a hat
  16. roll — a list
  17. foot — a measure
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. roll — a cake
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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