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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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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 · drill · hide · racket · temple · saw · bear · mate

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. drill — a practice
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. drill — army training
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. drill — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. saw — the tool

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