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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: bat · hide · date · craft · bay · cap · mouse · spell

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. date — the fruit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — boats
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. date — on the calendar

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