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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. face — part of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — thin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. file — a document
  24. toast — bread

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