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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. roll — a list
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to bend
  20. season — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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