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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. squash — the sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. bear — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. prune — to trim
  23. shower — rain
  24. saw — the tool

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