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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. board — a committee
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rest — what's left

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