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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. field — farmland
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. field — for sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. face — to confront
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. field — a subject
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — a break

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