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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. face — to point toward
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — for sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. pass — a permit
  16. field — a subject
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — farmland
  20. face — to confront
  21. lie — to recline
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — an untruth

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