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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — in control
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a ring
  18. chest — a box
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — of the year

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