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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — rain
  14. cap — a hat
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. toast — bread
  23. cap — of ice
  24. toast — the most admired

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