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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. bat — the animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bank — for money
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — in a race
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spell — magic

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