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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 116 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. present — the time now
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. snap — to click
  13. hand — help
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  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