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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. last — final
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a hat
  21. board — a committee
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. last — finally

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