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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — a position
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. roll — a list
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ground — the earth

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