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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rest — a break
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — a leader
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — a signal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — what's left
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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