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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. staff — employees
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chair — a leader
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rule — government
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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