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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — to rob
  6. land — a country
  7. mug — a face
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — rain
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. land — ground
  18. race — a contest
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — the arms race
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. land — to come down
  24. mug — a cup

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