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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stand — to bear
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. staff — employees

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