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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — to tire
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. can — a tin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. key — in music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. can — a tin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — letters

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