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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 · mark · mate · saw · chest · arm · fan · bowl

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chest — a box
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mark — to pay attention

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