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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tear — to rip
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cap — a lid
  12. pitch — completely
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. can — to be able to
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — a price
  22. kick — in football
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — of ice

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