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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 120 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: face · land · mug · mouse · cap · hide · object · wind

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. land — ground
  5. object — an aim
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — a country
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — a face
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cap — a lid
  19. object — a thing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — to protest
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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