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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cell — a phone
  6. face — to point toward
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — humankind
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. fork — to eat with

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