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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — for sport
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. staff — employees
  11. field — a subject
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. staff — a stick

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