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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spring — of water
  6. cap — a hat
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mate — a partner
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cap — a lid
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. mate — to breed
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spring — the season
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. foot — 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