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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. face — to point toward
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rule — government
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — to confront
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. sharp — clever
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — not warm
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. cold — an illness

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