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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: sharp · mug · lean · chair · spring · prune · safe · tube

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — to trim
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. lean — to bend
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lean — thin
  20. mug — to rob
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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