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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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. key — the most important part
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. game — a match
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pass — a permit
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ruler — a monarch

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