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

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — a position
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — of ice

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