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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 120 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: fine · squash · mine · hide · wake · prune · pass · content

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. content — the amount
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — all right
  21. wake — a trail
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — high quality

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