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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cap — a hat
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. squash — to crush
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to click
  15. staff — employees
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. squash — the sport
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cap — a lid
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cold — an illness

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