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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spring — of water
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bear — to put up with

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