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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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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: hide · bank · cap · dip · rush · prune · rest · kid

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — of ice
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. kid — child
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bank — for money
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — a break
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — to tease
  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