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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cap — of ice
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. snap — to click
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pit — a hole
  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