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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cap — of ice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — a lid
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pitch — completely
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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