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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cap — of ice
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ground — a position
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. snap — to click
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ground — the earth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. date — the fruit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. capital — a city
  24. ground — crushed

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