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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. court — of a king
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. clip — a video
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. court — of law
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. clip — for paper
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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