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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. face — to confront
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. kick — in football
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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