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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: season · lean · toast · field · mine · prune · stick · bear

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lean — to bend
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mine — for digging
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. toast — bread
  7. field — a subject
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lean — thin
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. season — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. field — farmland
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — for sport
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — of the year

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