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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: cap · bowl · leaves · hide · tube · current · prune · cold

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. current — electric
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — a container
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cold — an illness
  16. tube — the underground
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. leaves — lets stay

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