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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. season — in sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. prune — to trim
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. squash — to crush
  13. season — of the year
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. last — finally
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. last — final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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