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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. charge — electricity
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — to eat
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. face — to confront
  11. bark — to shout
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — in cards
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — in a computer

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