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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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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: prune · season · dip · wound · foot · firm · kick · chest

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. foot — a measure
  3. firm — decided
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. season — in sport
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. season — of the year
  10. kick — in football
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to sink
  17. firm — a company
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — steady
  22. chest — a box
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. kick — a thrill

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