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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pass — a permit
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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