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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. firm — decided
  7. field — a subject
  8. firm — a company
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — in a road
  11. firm — steady
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. field — for sport
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. fork — to eat with
  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