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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — a gift
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — in cards
  7. present — there
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — to fit
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. suit — clothes
  23. present — the time now
  24. stock — goods

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