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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — to keep track
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. track — a path
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wind — moving air
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — part of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a song
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — exactly

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