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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pop — soda
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. pop — to visit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cold — not warm
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — magic
  24. bowl — a dish

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