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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · season · cap · current · squash · cell · hide · bear

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. season — in sport
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. current — electric
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. season — of the year
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — happening now
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cap — of ice
  23. current — of water
  24. cell — a phone

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