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

Word bank: mouse · dip · prune · racket · stick · bay · tube · hide

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. dip — to sink
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. tube — a container
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — for a computer

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