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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bat — the animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. suit — to fit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. prune — to trim

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