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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. face — to confront
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. face — to point toward
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. sharp — clever
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — a measure

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