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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. face — part of the head
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. file — a tool
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. face — to point toward
  13. content — happy
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. file — a document
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. content — the amount
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. hide — to keep secret

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