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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: hide · ground · chest · bear · rash · mug · bowl · saw

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. rash — a series
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a face
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — crushed
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. ground — a position

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