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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. face — to confront
  9. kick — in football
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. season — of the year
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. current — electric

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