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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
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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: roll · kick · sharp · mouse · mine · season · bear · cap

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — a hat
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. roll — a cake
  10. season — in sport
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — in football
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. roll — a list
  23. cap — a lid
  24. kick — with a leg

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