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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 120 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: cap · arm · cold · mug · craft · ruler · object · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mug — a cup
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — an aim
  22. cold — not warm
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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