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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rule — a law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — to tease
  9. scale — size or range
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — in music
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rule — government
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — of a word
  24. hide — animal skin

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