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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. suit — in cards
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. suit — clothes
  15. snap — to click
  16. suit — to fit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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