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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ground — a position
  14. wind — moving air
  15. face — to point toward
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a dance
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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