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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. land — ground
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. land — to come down
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — a country
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. mug — to rob

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