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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: cap · can · sharp · arm · cell · march · rush · cue

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. can — a tin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cue — a hint
  4. march — the month
  5. cell — a phone
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cell — in biology
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cap — of ice
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a signal
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — a hat
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. march — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rush — hurry

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