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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. craft — boats
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — the animal
  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