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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — to rob
  3. cap — a lid
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mark — a trace
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spring — the season
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. game — a match
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. spring — of water
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mug — a face
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spring — a coil

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