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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. capital — a city
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kid — child
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. capital — money
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — for light
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bound — obliged
  24. dip — a sauce

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