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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: cap · face · current · calf · hide · mine · bear · spring

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. cap — a hat
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — a coil
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — to confront
  24. spring — of water

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