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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — animal skin

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