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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — to eat
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. season — of the year
  15. drill — a practice
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. drill — army training
  24. spring — the season

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