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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: bear · straw · can · prune · temple · mine · mouse · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — of the year
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bear — to put up with

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