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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — a hat
  4. net — after costs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — to confront
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cap — a lid
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cap — of ice
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — for catching
  16. face — part of the head
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — to fit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. suit — in cards
  23. net — in sport
  24. row — a line

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