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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — a series
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — of a king
  13. chair — a leader
  14. court — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cell — in biology
  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