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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — to trim
  8. spring — a coil
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. date — the fruit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — to crush

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