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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rash — on the skin

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