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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 120 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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. shower — rain
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — a position

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