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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rest — a break
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cap — a lid
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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