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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — a lid
  7. band — a ring
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. band — a music group
  20. mark — a trace
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mark — to pay attention

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