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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. vault — a safe
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — the amount
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — happy
  22. saw — the tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. content — videos and posts

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