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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. spell — letters
  3. cold — not warm
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fine — all right
  10. spell — a short time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — magic
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cap — a hat
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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