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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 · pitcher · jam · hide · prune · snap · lean · rash

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. snap — to click
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — thin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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