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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. land — to come down
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. stand — to bear
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. present — there
  20. land — a country
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wax — to grow
  23. land — ground
  24. stand — for spectators

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