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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — there
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. capital — a city
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — a line
  16. present — the time now
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — to trim
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pass — a permit
  24. capital — money

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