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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: lean · toast · bay · sharp · deal · chair · saw · prune

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — bread
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. deal — to handle
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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