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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. toast — bread
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rest — a break
  17. hand — in cards
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rest — what's left
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rest — what's left
  24. 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