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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.

Make a worksheet

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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. scale — in music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. shower — rain
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. shower — to wash

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