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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — thin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — clothes
  6. degree — temperature
  7. face — part of the head
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — steady
  13. degree — an amount
  14. firm — decided
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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