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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. shower — rain
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. craft — a skill
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. craft — boats
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — of ice
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  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