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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cap — a lid
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pop — music
  16. squash — the sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — to visit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bore — to drill

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