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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. land — ground
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — a gift
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. date — the fruit
  9. present — there
  10. track — a song
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a path
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — thin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — lets stay

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