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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: calf · hide · staff · bear · cap · jam · net · mug

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. net — for catching
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — after costs
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — in sport
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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