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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · prune · mug · fan · toast · cue · bore · content

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — happy
  3. mug — a cup
  4. toast — bread
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. content — the amount
  7. cue — a hint
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mug — a face
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — to rob
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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