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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — to be able to
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — of water
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. spring — the season
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wave — with your hand

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