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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pit — in a race
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a ring
  15. face — to confront
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kick — in football
  24. sharp — clever

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