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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — electric
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rest — a break
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. current — happening now
  18. arm — part of the body

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