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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. capital — money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bear — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bass — low music
  14. capital — a city
  15. lean — thin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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