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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. season — of the year
  2. fine — all right
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — for paper
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. season — in sport
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. prune — to trim
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. foot — a measure
  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