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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. dip — to sink
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. spring — of water
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. bound — obliged
  17. prune — to trim
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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