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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. season — of the year
  3. present — a gift
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — a company
  10. squash — the sport
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. firm — steady
  13. present — there
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cell — in biology
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. season — in sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cell — a phone

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