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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — to protest
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a dance
  15. face — to confront
  16. object — a thing
  17. kid — child
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. kid — to tease
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. branch — a division
  24. hide — to keep secret

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