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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — for paper
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — a series
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. clip — a video
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. can — to be able to

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