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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — a cup
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — a face
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ground — the earth
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pitcher — a jug

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