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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bound — tied together
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. net — in sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — certain
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — obliged

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