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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — rain
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. present — there
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. sharp — clever
  14. present — a gift
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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