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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — of ice
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. capital — a city
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rock — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. capital — money
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. face — to confront
  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