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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: saw · jam · hide · mug · bear · cabinet · cold · wound

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — a face
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bear — the animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

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