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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — of the year
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — what's left
  12. face — to confront
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rest — a break
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. kick — in football
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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