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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 · leaves · wound · mug · bear · bay · capital · row

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. row — a line
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mug — a face
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — a cup
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — to rob
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bear — to put up with

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