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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — bread
  4. last — to go on
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. face — to point toward
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. last — final
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mate — a friend
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. last — finally
  24. mouse — the animal

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