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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. firm — decided
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. land — a country
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — ground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. land — to come down
  21. firm — steady
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. season — in sport
  24. tear — from crying

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