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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. face — to point toward
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — obliged
  6. face — part of the head
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. track — a song
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a path
  24. fan — to cool the air

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