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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — happening now
  3. rest — a break
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. sharp — clever
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — electric
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — of water
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pound — a weight
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. face — to confront
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rest — what's left
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pound — to hit hard

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