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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. field — for sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. field — a subject
  24. staff — a stick

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