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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mine — for digging
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cap — a hat
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ground — a position
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fork — to eat with

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