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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. date — the fruit
  4. season — of the year
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — the cause
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — in sport
  24. date — on the calendar

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