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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. season — of the year
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — thin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stem — to come from
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to rest against

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