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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — of ice
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pop — music
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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