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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. last — final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. swing — music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chair — a leader
  17. last — to go on
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — a face
  21. last — finally
  22. mug — a cup
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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