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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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468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — to go on
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. club — for golf
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. last — finally
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — in a race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pit — a hole
  16. club — a group
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. toast — bread
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. last — final
  23. club — for dancing
  24. date — 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