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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. present — a gift
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stem — to come from
  8. board — a committee
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — hasty
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. season — in sport
  16. board — to get on
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — there
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. prune — to trim

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