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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — farmland
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fall — the season
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bulb — for light
  9. field — a subject
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lean — to bend
  15. field — for sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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