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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — to come down
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. land — a country
  10. perch — the fish
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — crushed
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — the earth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ground — a position

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