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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — hurry
  6. kick — in football
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — the amount
  10. rule — government
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. content — happy
  14. pitch — completely
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lean — thin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. rule — a law
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — to hurry

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