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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. net — for catching
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. toast — bread
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. coach — a trainer

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