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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. key — for a lock
  9. craft — a skill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spell — a short time
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. craft — boats
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — thin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — in music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — letters
  24. key — the most important part

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