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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 120 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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — in a race
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. craft — boats
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — to wash
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. squash — to crush
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to sink
  24. prune — to trim

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