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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. dip — to sink
  8. prune — to trim
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a hat
  13. club — for dancing
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — shares
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. cap — a lid
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — goods
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. club — a group

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