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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chair — a leader
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lean — thin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. suit — clothes
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — of ice
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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