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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · shower · club · bay · pound · hide

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. club — for golf
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — a group
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. shower — rain
  18. pound — for dogs

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