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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 120 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — a lid
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fine — high quality
  5. root — the cause
  6. lie — to recline
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — to come down
  14. root — of a word
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — a country
  21. cell — a phone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — ground
  24. cell — in biology

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