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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — to handle
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — to drop

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