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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.

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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: bear · sharp · spell · cap · hide · jam · degree · race

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — the arms race
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cap — a lid
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. race — a contest
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cap — a hat
  19. degree — from a university
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — letters

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