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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. saw — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — to point toward
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. file — a tool
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a document
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — on a finger

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