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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — a series
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — a break
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rock — music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to drill
  24. date — on the calendar

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