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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. firm — decided
  8. march — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stock — shares
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. firm — a company
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. firm — steady
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to sink

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