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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. prune — to trim
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. land — to come down
  7. season — in sport
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — ground
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — a country
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a grade

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