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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: cap · sharp · bear · hand · fan · clip · hide · mark

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. clip — a video
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cap — a hat
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — in cards
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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