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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mug — a face
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. present — a gift
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. present — there
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. ball — a dance
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — a position
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ground — the earth
  23. present — the time now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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