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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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 — part of the body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — to rob
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — a cup
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pop — music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mug — a face
  17. cap — a lid
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pop — to visit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — soda
  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