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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. toast — bread
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. roll — a list
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. roll — a cake
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. toast — the most admired

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