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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. plane — a tool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. branch — a division
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. foot — a measure
  23. prune — to trim
  24. branch — of a bank

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