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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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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — the month
  6. craft — a skill
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. face — to point toward
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chip — for betting
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. march — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. chip — to eat
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. face — to confront
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spell — letters

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