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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. face — part of the head
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. face — to confront
  10. drill — the tool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. drill — army training
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — all right
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. content — happy
  24. straw — a straw man

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