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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. present — the time now
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — a coil
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — to bear
  18. net — for catching
  19. prune — to trim
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. net — in sport
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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