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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — a hat
  11. shower — rain
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — a face
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mug — a cup
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  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