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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bat — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. snap — to click
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — to bear
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. suit — clothes
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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