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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. track — a song
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to confront
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rule — a law
  10. foot — a measure
  11. face — to point toward
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fine — all right
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. face — part of the head
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bat — the animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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