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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spell — magic
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. chip — to eat
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — a division
  11. face — to confront
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — help
  15. face — to point toward
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. plane — an aircraft

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