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

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — the tool
  6. season — in sport
  7. bound — tied together
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. drill — army training
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. prune — the fruit

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