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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bat · object · stand · cap · can · last · arm

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. can — a tin
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. object — to protest
  21. cold — not warm
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — an aim
  24. bat — the animal

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