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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. season — of the year
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — to go on
  14. fine — all right
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — in sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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