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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. can — a tin

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