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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pit — a hole
  15. present — there
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — music
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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