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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cap — of ice
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. scale — size or range
  7. chest — of your body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — a box
  12. charge — a price
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. charge — in control
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — electricity
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fan — a supporter

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