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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · calf · ground · cap · stick · hide · can · cell

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cell — in biology
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — a position

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