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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kick — in football
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — a group
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — to come from
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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