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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — for golf
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. prune — to trim
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. club — a group
  24. hide — to keep secret

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