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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fine — all right
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. toast — bread
  12. land — a country
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bank — for money
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. land — to come down
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. toast — the most admired

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