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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mine — for digging
  3. face — to confront
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. mark — a grade
  9. ground — the earth
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. club — for golf
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mark — a trace
  18. club — a group
  19. face — to point toward
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mark — to pay attention

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