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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pop — soda
  4. cap — a lid
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — magic
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mug — a face
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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