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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
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: arm · fine · rash · capital · cap · rush · rock · chest

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — of ice
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rush — hurry
  13. capital — a city
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. cap — a hat

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