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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mug — a face
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. present — a gift
  8. board — to get on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. scale — size or range
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — there
  21. mug — a cup
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. scale — for weighing

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