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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a trace
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — a grade
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. current — electric

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