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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. fall — the season
  3. row — a line
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — army training
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. face — to confront
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. foot — a measure
  19. drill — a practice
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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