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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fine — all right
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. land — a country
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. net — after costs
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — to confront
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. net — in sport
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — for catching
  24. wave — with your hand

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