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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rash — a series
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — of the year
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ground — crushed
  17. season — in sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ground — a position
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — the earth

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