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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cell — a phone
  4. spring — of water
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spring — the season
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. spring — a coil
  14. swing — to play on
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — a tool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. swing — in golf
  21. face — to point toward
  22. swing — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — a signal

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