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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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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. present — the time now
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. present — there
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — the season
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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