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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chip — for betting
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — to confront
  19. pound — a weight
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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