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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — of the year
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. squash — to crush
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — to trim
  21. season — in sport
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. hand — help
  24. chair — a professorship

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