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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: chair · lash · present · prune · root · deal · bass · cue

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. present — there
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. present — a gift
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chair — a leader
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cue — for pool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. present — the time now

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