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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — a break
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. root — the cause
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — of the year
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. root — of a word

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