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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — music
  7. kick — in football
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fork — in a road
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — to play on

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