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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bass — low music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — finally
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — rain
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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