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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chest — of your body
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rest — a break
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chest — a box
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cap — a hat
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. suit — to fit
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stem — of a plant

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