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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hand — help
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kid — to tease
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kid — child
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cap — of ice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rule — a law
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rule — government
  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