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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: hide · mouse · cap · fork · drill · land · calf · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — a practice
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — of ice
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. land — ground
  13. cap — a hat
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. drill — army training
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. deal — a big deal

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