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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. face — part of the head
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. net — for catching
  8. can — a tin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. capital — a city
  14. face — to point toward
  15. net — after costs
  16. capital — money
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — there
  20. file — a line of people
  21. face — to confront
  22. can — to be able to
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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