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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. prune — to trim
  4. face — to confront
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. club — a group
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — for golf
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. club — for dancing
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pit — in a race
  17. face — part of the head
  18. hand — help

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