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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mug — a face
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cap — a lid
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. craft — boats
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cap — a hat

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