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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ground — crushed
  3. snap — to click
  4. ground — the earth
  5. band — a ring
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chest — of your body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. band — a music group
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — a box
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cap — a hat

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