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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — a contest
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — to wash
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. shower — rain
  20. cold — an illness
  21. race — humankind
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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