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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: tube · cap · arm · wound · patient · bear · hand · land

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — a country
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. land — to come down
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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