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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chest — a box
  4. chip — to eat
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. chip — for betting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. last — finally
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — a hat
  12. last — final
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. perch — the fish
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — to go on
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chest — of your body

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