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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: board · last · cap · hide · bear · foot · fan · deal

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — to go on
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — to get on
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — a measure
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. last — finally
  20. board — a committee
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  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