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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.

Make a worksheet

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: jam · mug · lean · hide · perch · cabinet · march · cap

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cap — of ice
  8. mug — a face
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — to rob
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — thin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. march — the month

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