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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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468
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chest — a box
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kid — to tease
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. perch — the fish
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cap — a lid

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