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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: hide · field · deal · straw · scale · shower · cap · fan

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. field — farmland
  5. cap — a lid
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — to handle
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. field — for sport
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. scale — in music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — a subject
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. hide — to keep secret

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