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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
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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: board · dip · hide · chair · mug · leaves · prune · date

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — a committee
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mug — to rob
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — to trim
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chair — a leader
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — to get on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — to sink
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a face

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