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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: land · leaves · cap · object · fine · hide · prune · dip

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. land — to come down
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cap — of ice
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. land — ground
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. land — a country
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fine — all right
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — a lid

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