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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kid — child
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kid — to tease
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — part of the head
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. content — happy
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. face — to confront
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cap — a lid

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