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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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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 · suit · lean · prune · dip · cold · present · lash

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. suit — to fit
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. present — there
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. dip — to sink
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. suit — clothes
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. dip — a sauce

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