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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — to recline
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. shower — rain
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rest — what's left
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mate — a friend
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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