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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. object — an aim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — part of the head
  6. object — to protest
  7. root — the cause
  8. object — a thing
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mug — a cup
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — to keep track
  16. sharp — clever
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. root — of a word
  23. track — a path
  24. root — of a plant

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