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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. suit — in cards
  8. season — in sport
  9. last — finally
  10. object — an aim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. last — final
  13. object — to protest
  14. season — of the year
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. last — to go on
  19. toast — bread
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — to trim

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