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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. capital — a city
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ground — a position
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. capital — money
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — the earth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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