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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lie — to recline
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. land — to come down
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. rest — what's left
  10. land — a country
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — a break
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — to point toward
  16. net — in sport
  17. land — ground
  18. net — after costs
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. track — a path
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  24. lie — an untruth

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