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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — to wash
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cap — a hat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. shower — rain
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mouse — the animal

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