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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.

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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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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: cap · hide · last · can · drill · object · bear · cell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cell — in biology
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. last — final
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. can — a tin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a lid
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — an aim
  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