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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.

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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cue — for pool
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. craft — boats
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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