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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — electric
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. drill — the tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. current — happening now
  19. wax — to grow
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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