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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — a country
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. land — to come down
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — thin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cap — of ice
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. land — ground
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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