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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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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spell — magic
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cap — a lid
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — a sauce

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