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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — of the year
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pound — a weight
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. season — in sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rest — a break

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