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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. swing — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — to play on
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — to recline
  21. swing — in golf
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fan — a supporter

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