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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — farmland
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — for golf
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. club — a group
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — a subject
  19. face — to confront
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. face — part of the head
  22. field — for sport
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hide — to keep secret

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