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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.

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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a hat
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — of ice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rock — a stone
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mine — for digging
  12. root — the cause
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — the underground
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tube — a container
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a word
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rock — music

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