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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — soda
  4. chest — of your body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. face — to confront
  21. chest — a box
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. fork — in a road

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