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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. land — to come down
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. net — in sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. land — ground
  12. tear — from crying
  13. land — a country
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — for catching
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. tear — to rip
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — after costs
  24. temple — a place of worship

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