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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. track — to keep track
  5. craft — boats
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — an illness
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cap — of ice
  13. track — a song
  14. game — wild animals
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. craft — a skill
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — of the leg

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