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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — in sport
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cap — a hat
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. can — to be able to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. net — after costs
  19. kid — child
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — of the leg

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