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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cap — a lid
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ground — a position
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — there
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a hat
  20. present — the time now
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ground — the earth
  24. present — a gift

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