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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — completely
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. row — to paddle
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. shower — to wash
  17. row — a line
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cue — a signal
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — a series

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