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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. season — of the year
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — thin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rest — a break
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lie — an untruth

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