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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. staff — a stick
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — magic
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. kick — a thrill
  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