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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — certain
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spring — of water
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stand — to bear
  12. hand — help
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. clip — a video
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hand — part of the body

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