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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rock — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. shower — rain
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — a coil
  16. plane — a tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spring — the season
  21. perch — the fish
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hide — to keep secret

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