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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — a leader
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rest — a break
  16. branch — a division
  17. suit — to fit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cold — not warm
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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