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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — electric
  3. date — the fruit
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. chest — a box
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. firm — steady
  13. current — of water
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kick — in football
  24. current — happening now

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