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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bass — low music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wound — an injury
  13. face — to confront
  14. rest — a break
  15. sharp — clever
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bass — the fish

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