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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — a lid
  5. prune — to trim
  6. season — in sport
  7. kid — child
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — of ice
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a hat
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. prune — to trim
  24. calf — a young animal

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