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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. cap — a lid
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. shower — rain
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — for light

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