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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — for catching
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. net — in sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. last — finally
  12. cell — a phone
  13. last — final
  14. hand — help
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. last — to go on
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cell — in biology
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hide — animal 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