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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. present — there
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. swing — music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — exactly

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