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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. spell — a short time
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rule — a law
  9. foot — a measure
  10. spell — magic
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — the animal
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. face — to confront
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. calf — of the leg

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