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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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. face — part of the head
  4. craft — boats
  5. face — to point toward
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — decided
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitch — completely
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. prune — to trim
  18. craft — a skill
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. sharp — clever
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to confront
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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