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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bank — for money
  7. row — a line
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — to trim
  18. season — of the year
  19. lie — to recline
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. season — in sport
  24. prune — the fruit

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