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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chair — a leader
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. charge — in control
  20. present — the time now
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. chair — to sit on

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