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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — there
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — a hole
  11. present — a gift
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. prune — to trim
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cap — of ice
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — the time now

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