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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — humankind
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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