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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cap — a hat
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fine — all right
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cue — a signal
  24. fine — high quality

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