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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: rest · cap · can · arm · wake · capital · bore · squash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cap — a hat
  3. capital — money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — to be able to
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — to crush
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. capital — a city
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bore — to tire

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