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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · object · present · date · pit · hide

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — to protest
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — a thing
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — there
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. date — on the calendar

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