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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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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 · stock · fork · arm · mug · cell · row · lash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fork — in a road
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mug — a face
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cap — a hat
  21. row — a line
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. row — to paddle

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