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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — an illness
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bear — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cold — not warm
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — a thing
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cold — the Cold War

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