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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: present · cabinet · wound · rush · club · last · arm · cap

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cap — of ice
  3. last — final
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — a gift
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. present — there
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — to go on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. club — a group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. cap — a hat
  22. last — finally
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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