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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: fall · bear · last · foot · patient · kid · cap · hide

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. last — to go on
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. last — final
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — finally
  19. kid — child
  20. fall — to drop
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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