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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — completely
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — a thing
  7. rush — hurry
  8. object — an aim
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — to protest
  12. swing — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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