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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. season — of the year
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — in control
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bass — low music
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to click
  16. cell — a phone
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. charge — a price

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