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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to confront
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — humankind
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — for golf
  22. race — the arms race
  23. club — a group
  24. cabinet — ministers

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