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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mate — a friend
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rest — a break
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cap — of ice
  14. key — for a lock
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to click
  19. mate — to breed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — a partner

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