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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · fan · prune · staff · cap · bass · hide · pit

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cap — a hat
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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