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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rest — a break
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — boats
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rash — hasty
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. face — part of the head
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rash — a series
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rash — on the skin

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