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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 120 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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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: stick · bark · pass · cap · safe · leaves · prune · chair

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — of ice
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — a hat
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chair — to sit on

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