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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. sharp — clever
  3. spell — a short time
  4. file — a document
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — a position
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — the earth
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — magic
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — letters

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