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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. hide — animal skin

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