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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — the cause
  4. toast — bread
  5. cap — a lid
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. clip — for paper
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cap — of ice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a great time
  13. clip — a video
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. root — of a word
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. root — of a plant
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ball — a dance

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