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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. root — the cause
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a music group
  12. season — of the year
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. root — of a plant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. season — in sport
  19. root — of a word
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a ring

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