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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
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: spring · hide · cabinet · safe · march · bear · stand · cap

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. spring — the season
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — the month
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spring — of water
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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