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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — a position
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — the earth

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