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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. toast — bread
  15. content — the amount
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a lid
  21. content — happy
  22. cap — of ice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. date — the fruit

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