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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — a company
  4. foot — a measure
  5. firm — steady
  6. chair — a leader
  7. season — in sport
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. firm — decided
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — for catching
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. net — in sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — of the year
  22. face — to point toward
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. season — to add flavour

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