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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fall — the season
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. chair — a leader

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