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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chair — a leader
  17. mark — a trace
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rash — a series
  20. face — to confront
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — low music
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mark — a grade

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