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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — a container
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. tube — the underground
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — rain
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pass — a permit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rest — a break
  22. club — a group
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ball — a round shape

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