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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — music

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