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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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 — to point toward
  3. charge — electricity
  4. roll — a list
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. charge — a price
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. roll — a cake
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. season — of the year
  13. charge — in control
  14. net — for catching
  15. season — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. net — in sport
  21. face — part of the head
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. face — to confront

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