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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. face — to confront
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cap — a lid
  7. face — part of the head
  8. capital — a city
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — of ice
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — to point toward
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. capital — money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. foot — part of the body

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