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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mark — a trace
  4. date — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. face — part of the head
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. swing — to play on
  12. face — to point toward
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pitch — completely
  15. chest — of your body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chest — a box
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. swing — music

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