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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pit — in a race
  3. face — to point toward
  4. row — a line
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. row — to paddle
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. craft — boats
  11. face — to confront
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — part of the head
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. craft — a skill
  17. court — of law
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pit — a hole
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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