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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lean — thin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mate — to breed
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. charge — a price
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. charge — in control
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mug — to rob
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bore — to tire
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to drill
  24. prune — the fruit

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