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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: saw · prune · rest · suit · rash · field · fine · chair

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — farmland
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. field — for sport
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — all right
  21. suit — clothes
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. suit — to fit

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