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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — of the year
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — a leader
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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