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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. key — the most important part
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. present — a gift
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. present — there
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — the time now
  21. key — in music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fall — the season

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