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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spring — the season
  3. season — of the year
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. capital — money
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. charge — in control
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. spring — of water
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — an eyelash

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