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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. object — a thing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fall — the season
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fall — to drop
  9. season — of the year
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. object — to protest
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — in sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rush — to hurry

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