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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — a leader
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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