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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 120 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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — thin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. current — electric
  18. fall — the season
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — happening now
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — of water
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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