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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. face — to point toward
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitch — completely
  17. ground — a position
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — crushed
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. arm — part of the body

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