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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a great time
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a partner
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — a tin
  24. face — to confront

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