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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. march — the month
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. object — a thing
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — an aim
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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