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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bound — tied together
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. face — to point toward
  6. craft — boats
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bass — the fish
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bound — certain
  11. face — to confront
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — in football
  24. face — part of the head

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