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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. firm — steady
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — to confront
  19. clip — a video
  20. firm — decided
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lie — to recline
  24. firm — a company

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