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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: cell · net · arm · object · hand · cap · rock · rash

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rash — a series
  4. net — in sport
  5. cell — a phone
  6. hand — in cards
  7. net — after costs
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rash — hasty
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. object — an aim
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in biology
  19. hand — help
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rock — to move gently

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