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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. capital — a city
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. fine — all right
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. roll — a cake
  10. can — to be able to
  11. swing — music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. roll — a list
  15. rash — hasty
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rash — a series
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to confront
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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