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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — all right
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fine — high quality
  5. face — to confront
  6. cap — a hat
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mug — a face
  13. face — part of the head
  14. can — to be able to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. face — to point toward
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — hurry
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ground — a position
  23. can — a tin
  24. mug — a cup

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