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

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — the cause
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — to tease
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — of ice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — to get on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. root — of a word
  20. kid — child
  21. board — a committee
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bowl — a football final

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