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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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kid — to tease
  6. cap — a lid
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kid — child
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a football final

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