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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 120 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — obliged
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. prune — to trim
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to click
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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