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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. march — the month
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — for catching
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. net — in sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. net — after costs
  16. march — the month
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — music
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ground — a position

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