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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: rest · cap · snap · arm · lean · chip · bound · fine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bound — certain
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fine — all right
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — obliged
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. snap — to click
  18. rest — a break
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. lean — thin

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