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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. date — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — an injury
  6. toast — bread
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. season — in sport
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — of a king
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. date — on the calendar

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