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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. land — ground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. rush — hurry
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — of ice
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a lid
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. jam — in traffic

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