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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. board — to get on
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — of ice
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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