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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a line
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — army training
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. row — to paddle
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rest — a break

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