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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. date — the fruit
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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