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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · lean · content · bay · chip · foot · cap · arm

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cap — a lid
  7. content — the amount
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. content — happy
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — for betting
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. lean — thin
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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