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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. season — of the year
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cap — of ice
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cap — a hat
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rock — music

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