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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cap — of ice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cap — a hat
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — finally
  12. can — a tin
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spell — magic
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. spell — a short time
  20. last — final
  21. deal — to handle
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. last — to go on
  24. safe — out of danger

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