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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: bear · rock · prune · object · hide · snap · nail · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. object — to protest
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to click
  18. object — an aim
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rock — music
  24. object — a thing

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