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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ground — a position
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — the earth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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