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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.

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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: hide · fan · chair · calf · prune · leaves · toast · pit

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. toast — bread
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pit — in a race

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