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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. season — of the year
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. season — in sport
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. present — there
  16. stand — to bear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. present — a gift
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stand — on your feet

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