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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — music
  11. season — in sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — to play on
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — the time now
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. present — there

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