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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. charge — in control
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mug — to rob
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — a friend
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. face — to confront
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — a face
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to point toward
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — the season
  22. charge — a price
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mate — to breed

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