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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · present · season · straw · prune · bowl · patient · bear

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — there
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — a gift
  7. season — of the year
  8. ground — crushed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. present — the time now
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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