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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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Word bank
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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: cold · arm · cap · foot · wave · fan · cue · pop

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cold — an illness
  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