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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bound — certain
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mug — a face
  12. ground — a position
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. march — music
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — obliged

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