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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — after costs
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. cap — a lid
  21. tear — from crying
  22. net — for catching
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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