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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a face
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. dip — to sink
  8. row — to paddle
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. season — in sport
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. present — there
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to click
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. present — a gift
  19. row — a line
  20. mug — to rob
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a cup

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