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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. season — in sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. season — of the year
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. dip — to sink
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. squash — to crush

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