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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: can · kid · bear · cap · saw · fork

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — of ice
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — child
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. 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