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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. season — in sport
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bass — low music
  17. rash — a series
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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