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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ruler — for measuring

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