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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mate — a friend
  4. can — to be able to
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — in sport
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. season — of the year
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cap — of ice

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