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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a cup
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mug — to rob
  7. game — wild animals
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chair — a leader
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. game — a match
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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