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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — in sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pop — to visit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pop — soda
  15. tube — a container
  16. net — after costs
  17. can — to be able to
  18. face — to confront
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — for catching
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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