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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lean — thin
  3. hand — help
  4. chest — a box
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cap — a hat
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chest — of your body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lean — to rest against

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