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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: stem · rush · cap · season · ball · sharp · arm · roll

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. season — of the year
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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