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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. firm — a company
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to confront
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. face — part of the head
  24. arm — part of the body

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