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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. band — a music group
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — the underground

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