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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mine — for digging
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wave — with your hand

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