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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cap — a hat
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lie — to recline
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ground — a position
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. face — to point toward
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — to confront
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — a part of something

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