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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. hand — in cards
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bore — to drill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. land — to come down
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bore — to tire
  15. land — ground
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. land — a country
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. arm — part of the body

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