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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cap — a lid
  4. clip — to cut
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. cap — of ice
  8. suit — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — clothes
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — a video
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — to fit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. clip — for paper

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